Winter's Twins
by Creepaboo
Summary: Jack and Sophie become proud parents, but there's something dark coming, and their children hold the answer. Humans are going missing, which seems like a serial killer until one of Jack's kid's vanish. Now he must team up with other mythical beings to solve the mystery before his child is gone forever, along with the Guardians.
1. Chapter 1

A/n: This story is a sequel to my story Winter's Girl. It takes place about ten years after the first one. Sorry, the first couple chapters will move quickly, I'm just setting up the plot mostly. Throwing in some fluff for fluff's sake. Please keep in mind, I am using this as writing practice so feedback is greatly appreciated. I'm practicing plot formulations and character development, though I am still bitter that Rise of the Guardians hasn't gotten a sequel. I'll do my best to keep updates going, but I work 60-70 hours to keep my overpriced apartment and this ridiculous "food" thing that I need.

This story is for MinakoTrickster, who gave me kind words when I needed them most and offered love and support for this, my onliest of talents in life; writing fanfiction. Maybe someday I'll get a real book published, and you'll see this epithet on paper! Wouldn't that be cool? Eh, I bet Hollywood would ruin in, they love doing that to books. Poor, poor Rick Riordan… Anyway, thank you, MinakoTrickster, for making social interaction a little less unpleasant and making me feel like it's ok to pick up where I left off! I'll do my best!

Premise; Jack and Sophie become proud parents, but there's something dark coming, and their children hold the answer. Humans are going missing, which seems like a routine serial killer until one of Jack's kids vanishes. Now he'll have to team up with other mythical beings to solve the mystery before his child is gone forever, along with the Guardians themselves…

Warnings; Language, violence.

* * *

.:**1**:.

Sophie awoke with a start, breathing heavily and covered in a layer of frost. Jack snored softly beside her, and didn't move as she scrambled from the snow drift and flung herself down beside a tree. She heaved violently, and was surprised to find that immortals could indeed vomit. She'd never even thought about it before. The cookies she'd been munching on the previous night were expelled from her stomach, and more frost spread out across her skin in what she imagined was the winter spirit form of sweating. She was dizzy, and sat down several feet away. Staring up at the sky, Sophie wondered what could possibly have made her vomit in the middle of the night.

"Sophie..?" Jack mumbled sleepily and sat up to gaze over at her. "What are you doing?" He was concerned, and tried to rub the sleep from his face as he wobbled to his feet.

"I threw up…" Sophie murmured quietly.

Jack paused and was immediately awake as he stared down at her.

"That's impossible, we don't get sick." He sounded more like he was trying to reassure himself, and Sophie gave him a flat stare.

"Maybe we should go see North, I really don't feel good…" Sophie nearly whimpered as her stomach began to cramp again.

Jack grabbed his staff and hurried to help Sophie get shakily to her feet. Her head started spinning, and Jack supported her as she leaned heavily on him.

The wind sensed their urgency, and carried them north at breakneck speeds. Sophie gave up trying to fly and simply clung around Jack's neck as he carried her.

* * *

"Winter spirits don't get sick." North gazed uncertainly down at Jack, whose shoulders slumped a little at the older man's words.

"Well, maybe you should tell Sophie's stomach that, it didn't get the memo." He sighed and tilted his head at North.

A yeti was poking and prodding at Sophie, and she eyed it nervously as it mumbled garbled words over its shoulder to North.

"Interesting. Is that your professional opinion, Henrietta?" North responded, and the yeti mumbled something in reply. Jack glanced between North and the yeti, waiting for the man to translate.

"She wants us to step out, she thinks she might know what's bothering our sweet little Sophie." North shooed Jack out of the room, though the winter spirit put up a fight.

Sophie glanced up at the yeti uncertainly. It gave her a gentle, knowing look, then turned to rifle through the medicine cabinet in the corner of the infirmary. She turned back around and handed Sophie a small box. The girl stared down at a home pregnancy test and her pale face got even whiter.

"That's impossible! You can't be serious!" She blurted out, but the yeti crossed her arms and stared down at the girl.

Jack paced the hallway in agitation, pausing every so often to cast spiteful looks at North's smug face.

"What?! Why won't you tell me what the yeti said?!" Jack wanted to pull his hair out, and North's grin got even bigger.

After what felt like an eternity but was only about ten minutes, the infirmary door slowly creaked open. Jack rushed forward to put his hands on Sophie's shoulders as she wandered out in a daze.

"Sophie! What happened?" He was worried and brushed the hair from her face as her eyes stared out at nothing. She seemed to be in shock, and she was clutching something in her hand.

"I'm pregnant." She mumbled softly, and her eyes slowly tracked up to make contact with Jack's shocked ice-blue gaze.

The two stared at each other, completely at a loss for words as North began to whoop in excitement and danced around the hallway.

"That's…. It's not possible. Right, North? It's not possible…" Jack was nearly stammering, and North paused to gaze at him inquisitively.

"Why not? We are magical immortal beings, anything is possible." North grinned at the two of them and resumed dancing.

Sophie put a hand over her stomach and sank down to her knees as another wave of nausea hit her. Jack ran his fingers through his hair and sat down beside her. Both were in complete shock, and after a few moments Sophie reached out. Jack took her hand reassuringly, and they shared a long meaningful look as North danced and whooped beside them.

"I will make arrangements, this is a cause for a grand celebration! It has been centuries since immortals have been blessed with children, the others will want to be here." North was still dancing a little as he walked off down the hall, and Sophie felt tears of shock stinging her eyes.

"Sophie..?" Jack's voice wavered with uncertainty, and he put a hand on her knee as he peered into her face.

"I never thought…" She was overwhelmed, and put her face in her hands as a sob tore from her throat.

"I'm sorry, Sophie. I should have been more careful, I can't believe-" He broke off as Sophie lunged forward to wrap her arms around his neck and pulled him close.

"I'm happy, I'm so happy. I don't know what to say. I never dared to hope that someday we might get to be parents." She sobbed against his neck, and he hugged her fiercely as relief washed over him.

"I always just kind of thought we would wind up adopting an orphan in like, two hundred years…" She let out a nervous giggle before she choked back another overwhelmed sob.

When she managed to calm down a bit and catch her breath, Sophie leaned back to smile lovingly at Jack. He reached one hand down experimentally and touched her stomach, almost as if he thought it might bite him. She giggled at him, and he relaxed his palm against her belly.

"There's really a tiny baby in there..?" He prodded gently at her stomach and she held up the pregnancy test.

"These things are pretty accurate, and it says 'congratulations' in big bold letters underneath the words 'you are pregnant'. I don't think it could be any clearer." Sophie grinned as Jack continued poking and rubbing her stomach.

* * *

"Oi! Frostbite! What the hell have you done?!" Bunnymund roared as he stalked into the room, and Jack was on his feet and facing off against the Pooka before Sophie even had time to greet him.

"Look, we talked about this, and we're really excited. I thought you'd be happy, you're gonna be some kind of grandpa or whatever." Jack held his palms up placatingly, but Bunny reached for his boomerangs.

"The two of you can't have a kid! You're too young!" Bunny bit harshly, and Jack actually reeled from his comment.

"Are you being serious? I'm three-hundred and forty years old. Sophie is twenty seven." Jack said flatly, but Bunnymund tightened his hands on his boomerangs.

"Ya know what I mean. Neither of you finished growin' up. Sophie has been seventeen for ten years!" Bunny glared daggers at Jack, and Sophie sighed and crossed her arms.

"Bunnymund, please. We didn't exactly plan this." Sophie said softly, and the Pooka melted at the sound of her voice. He was at her side in an instant, hugging her carefully and continuing to glare at Jack.

"I'm watchin' you, mate." He ground out at Jack.

Jack rolled his eyes and turned away from them. He was nearly knocked off his feet by an overly excited fairy.

"Is it true?! Sophie! Tell me this isn't one of North's terrible pranks!" Toothiana was squealing and zipping back and forth in excitement, with a small flock of mini-fairies following her lead.

"It's true." Sophie patted her lower belly and the tooth fairy cried out in joy.

"This is so exciting!" She nearly screamed, and Bunny glared at her.

Something tugged at Jack's sleeve, and he looked down to see the Sandman rubbing his face tiredly.

"Whoa! Sandy's awake! This is an event." Jack exchanged fist-bumps with Sandy and tried to decipher a lot of baby-themed images flashing above his head.

"Cookies, anyone?" North came in brandishing a tray of rather mangled cookies, and Sophie immediately took a handful.

Not having any luck talking to Jack, Sandy wandered over to greet Sophie. He put his tiny hands against her stomach, and Sophie smiled down at him. His eyes widened and he grinned up at her, then several images flashed overhead and Sophie dropped a cookie in shock.

"What?!" She yelped, and Tooth covered her mouth and squealed in excitement.

"What is it?" Jack asked curiously, and Tooth spun and clapped her hands.

"Sandy says it's twins!" She giggled in excitement and Jack ran his hand through his hair as Bunnymund cast him another death-glare.

* * *

Jack Frost was sitting on a picnic table when Jamie finally happened by. He'd been trying to clear his head and think, and even in the middle of summer, Burgess seemed to make him feel better. He glanced up when he recognized the man, and he offered his best friend a sheepish smile. Jamie glanced around, determined that no one was watching, and took a seat beside him.

"Did something happen? You usually avoid summer like the plague." Jamie was curious, and Jack took a moment to take in his features.

Jamie was somewhere around thirty now, though Jack had lost track. He still looked like the Jamie he knew, though his chin was a bit stubbly now. He was wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt, and he was carrying a cup of coffee. He looked, for all the world, like an average 30 year old man trying to pretend he was not a hipster. Jack smiled to himself and gave Jamie a sly grin.

"Sophie is pregnant." He said softly, and Jamie visibly jumped.

"How the hell did that happen?!" He blurted out in shock. He waved his hands frantically as Jack enthusiastically began explaining where babies come from.

"No, not that! I mean, you guys have been together for ten years. Why did this just now happen? I thought you guys couldn't…" Jamie sighed in confusion and Jack slumped a little.

"I don't know, I guess after years of rampant sex all over the globe the conditions finally happened to be just right." He sighed wearily and Jamie punched him in the shoulder.

"Dude, that's still my sister. My cute, innocent baby sister." Jamie muttered darkly.

* * *

"Ugh, Jack. Your children are disfiguring me." Sophie lamented playfully as she rubbed her swelling stomach. She was draped dramatically across a massive oak tree branch as snow fell softly around her.

She was clearly pregnant now, and she seemed to become more and more aware of it every day. Jack drifted up beside her and put his hands on her belly. He could feel light little movements, and he smiled happily. Sophie propped herself up and watched him affectionately.

"I wonder what they'll be like. Do you think they'll be winter spirits, too?" Jack asked curiously. Sophie put her hands over his and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

"Tooth said that was kind of unlikely. We've got winter pretty well covered, it wouldn't fit the 'magical ecosystem'." Sophie make air quotes and rolled her eyes playfully.

"Magical ecosystems are a real thing, Soph." Jack laughed and grabbed her hands playfully.

"I don't care what they are, as long as they come out healthy." Sophie murmured.

"What if they're summer spirits..?" Jack winced and looked off into the distance as if he was imagining some horrible future where they would have to fight their own children just to make a snowstorm.

Sophie laughed and ruffled his hair. Jack smiled and leaned his face into her hand. It was a calm winter afternoon, and though they'd normally be rampaging around town, Sophie was tired. She wasn't a very big young woman to begin with, and now she had to share her petite form with two other people.

"Do you want me to go find you a burrito or something?" Jack asked softly. Sophie grimaced and sighed.

"I don't want food…" She grumbled. Jack chuckled and brushed his fingertip along her cheek.

"I know, but you have to eat. You can't just feed them sunlight and snow." Jack lowered his voice seriously and Sophie nodded in resignation.

"They eat magic, too. I know you can feel it…" She reached over to touch his cheek, as if she was checking for a fever. Jack put his hand over hers and kept it there, then leaned his cheek into it lovingly.

"I'm fine, we might be sharing my power but I've got more than I need." He said it softly, and Sophie checked his face for sincerity.

"Don't worry about me, just take care of yourself." Jack kissed her forehead and Sophie nodded in response.

* * *

A/n: If there were mistakes I'm so sorry! I rewrote this 4 times...

Also I had several coworkers tell me they cancelled Disney+ after watching The Mandelorian. They said there "wasn't anything to watch" like what? How dark and miserable does your soul need to be to not enjoy watching old Disney movies or binging Boy Meets World or Gargoyles? Am I a monster? I wrote this while watching Zootopia...


	2. Chapter 2

A/n: I know this chapter is going to make certain people angry, so I just wanted to say, fuck off.

.:2:.

Jack paced in front of a window looking out into snowy nothingness. Sophie was drifting in and out of consciousness on the bed nearby, and Jack clutched a tiny bundle to his chest. A soft crying could be heard from the corner of the room, and he stopped to stare and bite his lip. He brought the bundle in his arms closer to his face and it huffed in frustration from the other infant's cries.

Urgent knocking sounded at the door, followed by the sound of ice cracking. Jack moved over to the bed as Sophie groggily tried to sit up. She propped herself up on a elbow and gave Jack a long, tired look. Brushing a hand through her hair, she sat up and held her arms out.

"Jack, please. I know you're trying to let this sink in, but we have to do something." Tooth's voice wavered emotionally from the other side of the door.

Jack handed the bundle to Sophie, and she hugged the tiny infant reassuringly.

"Please, just let me in. I'm sorry I couldn't get here in time, just please…" Tooth sounded nearly panicked, and Jack looked from the door to Sophie.

She stared at him for a moment, then nodded solemnly. Jack sighed and his breath puffed up in a cloud of mist. Tendrils of ice crept out around him where his feet touched the floor, but he moved toward the door. He put his hand on the doorknob, and the ice around the bottom shattered as he sharply jerked it open.

Tooth fluttered nervously in the hallway, with North and Bunnymund lingering worriedly behind her. Jack motioned for Tooth to come in, then softly closed the door behind her before the other two could object.

Tooth immediately shot to the corner of the room and gently lifted the sobbing infant from the cradle. She held him to her chest, cooing gently in his little ears as he sniffled. A sob ripped its way out of Sophie's throat, and Jack sat on the bed beside her to offer comfort.

"We can't even touch him. The moment the umbilical cord was cut…" She sobbed again and tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I just want to hold him…"

"Sophie, you just need to calm down… You two radiate cold when you're upset, and this has been a very stressful day. North told me everything, I'm sorry it wasn't the easiest delivery…" Tooth floated next to the bed, holding the tiny infant as close to the winter spirit as she dared while ice crept across the bedspread.

"How is this even possible..?" Jack murmured. He was still in shock, but he took the tiny baby from Sophie when it looked like she might faint. "One is some kind of… Springtime spirit? That I understand. But her twin brother is human..?" Jack gazed pleadingly at Tooth, hoping she would have some kind of solution to the problem at hand.

"How are we supposed to raise a human?" Sophie sobbed. She tried to hug her knees, but winced in agony and drifted backward into the pillows as Jack put a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, North would be happy to offer you a home here. He's mentioned it a thousand times." Tooth tried to reassure her friends, but she was getting distracted as she gazed down at the human infant in her arms. He had a mess of brown hair and big blue eyes, and Tooth was absolutely in love.

"Or you could raise him in the Warren, Bunnymund-" Tooth tried to offer, but Jack cut her off.

"Would love to have me there full-time, I'm sure." He drawled out sarcastically.

"Well, you could come to my palace…" Tooth trailed off because she knew it was a long shot, what with the rampant safety hazards for a human child, but she wanted to help her friends.

"We need to call Jamie." Sophie hugged a pillow to her chest as tears rolled soundlessly down her cheeks.

"We can't raise a human child, we'll kill him. All it would take is one of us losing control even for a second, the temperature dips too low, his blood freezes. It's not worth the risk." Sophie closed her eyes, and Jack's gaze drifted to the baby in his arms.

His daughter looked so much like Sophie, it made him feel a kind of familial joy he didn't know he was capable of. She had big round cheeks, and huge brown eyes framed with a puff of white hair. She wriggled a hand free and clutched at his face, and he put his thumb to her palm for her to grab. Her tiny fingers wrapped around his thumb, and he saw frost creep across her skin. It only made it about an inch before it melted and an uncomfortable warmth spread into his thumb and across his hand. He slipped his thumb from her grasp and touched the tip of his nose to hers proudly.

"Touché, my princess." He murmured lovingly. He set her gently beside Sophie, who turned to curl protectively around the infant.

"Tooth, please get him fed. I'll go talk to Jamie." He said softly.

"Wait, you don't have to- We can figure this out! You can't just give up-" Tooth started to cry, but Jack moved forward to hug her gently.

"We can't raise him, Tooth. If we try we're going to ruin or kill him." Sophie bit out angrily. Jack put a hand on her hair but she slapped him away and curled tighter around the infant beside her.

"Sophie's right. We have no place raising a human child. Even if we don't kill him, what kind of future can we offer? How is he going to connect to other humans if he grows up in a magical household of mythical beings? Giving him to a human household is the best thing we could do for him." Jack brushed the tip of his finger over his son's cheek, but frost spread across his skin and he let out a startled shriek.

Sophie jerked at his words, but remained silent.

Tooth hushed him and brushed her hand over his cheek to warm him up, then shared a look with Jack. She nodded in agreement, then turned to carry the infant boy out into the hall. Jack opened the door for her, then left it open. North and Bunnymund crept forward, and Jack nodded respectfully at them before striding into the hall.

Bunny rushed to the bed to fawn over the tiny Spring spirit Sophie was comforting, and North stopped Jack with a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"You are doing the right thing. He might be happy here, but he would always feel empty inside. Like bird in cage." North's words reassured him, but still stung. He nodded, but didn't dare try to answer the way his throat was constricting.

* * *

Jamie was watching TV when Jack knocked on his door. He could hear the man laughing at the program, so when the door opened and he came face to face with Pippa, Jack was a bit surprised. She stared blankly at him for a moment, and at first he thought she couldn't see him. Then she stepped aside and smiled.

"Jamie, your brother is here!" She grinned and sang into the livingroom. Jack heard something fall off the table, then the table thumped as if it had been kicked, then Jamie cursed because he definitely kicked the table in surprise.

"Jack!" He grinned at first, then his face fell in concern when Sophie was not anywhere to be seen.

"What happened? Is she alright? What about the babies?!" Jamie rushed forward to grab his shoulders, and Jack blinked at him in shock for a moment before it sank in.

"Oh! No! Everything's fine, everyone's healthy. Umm… I need to talk to you, about… One of the twins…" Jack trailed off awkwardly and set his staff down against the wall as he glanced at Pippa. She seemed concerned, and invited Jack to sit on the couch as she paused the TV show they'd been binging.

"What's the matter? Did she give birth? Why didn't you call me?" Jamie pressed nervously.

Jack brushed his fingers through his hair and sighed. He sank down into the couch as Jamie loomed nearby. A cup of water on the coffee table iced over, and Pippa glanced at it curiously.

"I didn't… call you right away because it was difficult labor. It was early, but it was rough and she didn't want people there. She barely let me be there… It didn't feel right…" Jack tried to explain but knew he was mucking it up. He gathered himself.

"One of the twins is human…" Jack forced the words out, and there was a long moment of silence.

Jamie leaned back against the wall and shared a look with his wife.

"I don't- We don't know what to do…" Jack said quietly. "We can't even touch him. The moment the umbilical cord was cut, it cut off the magical ties between him and Sophie. When we touch him his skin turns icy, he screams…" Jack's voice wavered, but Pippa put a hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

Jamie didn't know what to say, and he walked slowly to the couch and settled down beside his closest friend. Jack was clearly upset, and Jamie put a hand on his back to let him know he wasn't alone.

"Jack, we're family. We'll do anything to help. Do you need a safe place to raise him? We have a spare room, it might be a bit crowded, but we can make this work." Jamie glanced at Pippa, and she nodded in agreement.

"No, we can't be around him like that. I don't…" Jack put his head in his hands and felt icy tears at his eyes. "I don't think it's safe…"

"Jack, what about the other baby?" Pippa asked carefully. Jack wiped his face and looked at her.

"She's fine. Oh, I mean, the second baby is a girl. Congratulations." Jack tried to sound playful as he elbowed Jamie, but it came off as stressed. "She's a seasonal spirit, like me. We think she's a Spring spirit, but it's kind of early to tell. It would make sense though, Spring always meant to much to Sophie." Jack let out a little laugh and Jamie smiled.

"Jack, what do you want us to do?" Jamie asked gently.

Jack clasped his hands together at his chin and thought for a moment. He didn't want to ask, but he had to find a safe place for his son, and this was the safest place he knew of.

"Is there any chance you would be interested in adoption..?" His voice trailed off, and Jamie stared at him in shock.

"Look, I'm not human. I was, a long time ago, but I'm not now. And Sophie isn't anymore. That's just another thing I've taken away from her." Jack started bitterly, and Jamie withdrew his arm of reassurance.

"If we try to raise a human child, assuming we don't kill it, he's not going to have a good life. It's going to be a permanent internship at the North Pole that ends with him being alone and isolated and out of touch with his own heritage. I'm not saying we want to cut contact with him, but he needs to grow up like a human. In a human home, with other humans…" Jack knew he was rambling now, and Jamie stood up.

"Pippa, let's talk about this." He said gently, and his wife stood up and headed for the stairs.

Jack listened to them go up to their bedroom and close the door. He sat there for a long time, wondering if he was doing the right thing. He knew in his heart it was the best chance for his son to have a good life, but there was still a lingering feeling of dread. He could hear Jamie and Pippa having a conversation, but he couldn't make out any words. They talked for maybe twenty minutes before the door creaked open and they came back down to the livingroom.

"Alright, if you're sure this is what you want we will adopt my nephew. But we are having this conversation again when my sister is here. You can go let her know if my nephew needs a foster home, he is more than welcome here. I wasn't going to say anything, but Pippa and I have been trying to start a family for years with no luck, so if you two are serious, you'd be giving us a real blessing." Jamie's cheeks flushed red and Jack's eyes widened at the revelation. He glanced up at Pippa as she hugged herself by the foot of the stairs looking embarrassed but hopeful.

Jack jumped to his feet, feeling like a massive weight had been lifted from his soul.

"I'll let Sophie know. She's still recovering, but when she's ready we'll be here. Thank you, both of you." Jack said sincerely.

"Get out of here, go back to your wife and kids, dude." Jamie chuckled playfully and slapped Jack on the shoulder.

Jack nodded and moved toward the door. He picked up his shepherds' crook and headed back out into the night.

* * *

A/n: I put my daughter up for adoption in 2008 and I still don't regret it. I know a lot of people might be offended about adopting out a child, so I'm here to tell you to go fuck my big toe. When you know you can't give a child a good home, _you know_. And there is no shame in adopting that child to a home that can make them happy, and provide a family, and give them emotional and financial support. People might tell you that you're a monster for putting a baby up for adoption, but you're not. At all. You're a hero, if you truly love your baby but can't take care of it, you're a hero for giving it to a family that really wants it. And to make things even more clear, my daughter is 13, and she texts me now. We are building a relationship, and she still got to have a good and healthy and financially stable childhood without me. Because I admitted I couldn't give her that 12 years ago when I was 16 years old.


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: I accidentally replied to a celebrity tweet and I didn't know what to do so I logged out and made a new account and it's been 6 months. It wasn't anything bad, I just have social anxiety so sometimes I write what I want to say and then delete it but this time I hit send on accident and it's been 6 MONTHS and I can't move on and my therapist is so sick of my nonsense and honestly I am too.

.:3:.

**Twelve Years Later**

Jamie crossed his arms and sighed heavily as he stared at the pictures on the TV. It was a man and woman he had never met, but their faces were burned into his mind. They looked like average parents, mid-thirties, clean, they even looked happy. A hand touching his shoulder made him jump, and he glanced over to see his wife looking at him with concern.

"Another murder..?" Pippa asked nervously. Jamie covered her hand with his own and tried to look unperturbed.

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Nobody's gonna get in our house." He turned to wrap his arms around her, but she pushed him back and stared at him.

"It's not us I'm worried about. Four people are dead and three kids are missing." She was trying to keep her voice level, but it wavered slightly with empathetic pain.

Jamie started to reply, then snapped his mouth shut and hugged her. He didn't know what to say or do to make her feel better, and he was scared too. Someone was stalking their quiet little town, and there was nothing he could do about it. He glanced over the top of Pippa's head out the window into the night, half hoping he would see that familiar pale face appear to smile mischievously at him and magically solve his problems.

All he saw was the dim glow of the streetlights dancing through the swaying branches of the oak tree in the front lawn and the empty street beyond.

* * *

Jack watched the young girl below him with amusement. She wasn't aware she was being followed, and he floated above her on a gentle springtime breeze. The girl was thin, and she moved from tree to tree with the grace of a flying squirrel. He hugged his staff proudly as he watched her flit through the branches, her white-blonde hair flowing behind her. Every so often a tree would drop a bloom into her hair lovingly, and she hardly seemed to notice. She was following someone herself, and she was doing a poor job of not being seen.

There was a boy just sitting down beneath a tree at the end of the park, and Jack's heart swelled when he saw him. He was a little tall for his age, and somewhat gangly, but handsome and healthy. He had dirty blonde hair that shone with streaks of gold in the sunlight, and green eyes that reminded him of fresh foliage sprigs.

Jack settled down on a high-up branch to watch as the girl got close. She paused on a branch above him, and he glanced around to make sure he was alone before looking up at her.

"What? I have homework." The boy ground out playfully, and the girl dropped down to sit beside him.

"You and I both know you already finished it, dork." She huffed in reply.

The boy chuckled softly and nodded, but took a book out and pretended to read it anyway.

"Did you find anything out about our… unwanted guest?" He asked casually as he held the book up to block his face from anyone that might be looking.

"No, Dad won't let me out of his sight. Took me two hours to lose him today." The girl huffed angrily and flopped backwards into the grass. Jack put a fist to his mouth to stifle his laughter.

"How's school? Must be pretty awesome to have so many kids to play with. That can… you know… See you." The girl mumbled sullenly and picked at the grass. Every blade she picked grew back, and several flowers sprouted up around her.

"It's not that great. A lot of kids aren't all that nice…" The boy leaned back against the tree behind him and sighed.

"Especially not since I tried to warn them about those goblins hiding under the monkey bars… They still won't let me forget." His voice was low and sad, and Jack leaned forward curiously.

"Didn't they bite one of those jerks?" The girl was trying to be supportive, but his shoulders slumped.

"The teacher said he tripped in the bark dust." He was bitter, and clenched the book tighter to his face.

"Jason, you have to keep in mind this won't last forever. You'll be free in a few years and you can go do whatever you want to do!" She was trying her best to be optimistic, but he gave her a sideways glance and then rolled his eyes.

"You make it sound so easy, but you're not the one getting soda poured down their shirt for being a weirdo." He bit back harshly, and she recoiled slightly.

They sat there silently for a minute, and Jack crept a little closer. He gazed down at Jason, taking note of the comic book taped inside the cover of his history textbook. He was wearing a t-shirt with an image of a flying saucer beaming someone up with the words 'I want to leave' printed under the image. He looked a lot like Jamie, but the bone structure wasn't quite right and his hair was much lighter.

"Aurora, I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated. Dad promised to take me on one of his ghost hunting trips, but since all these murders started happening he's put them on hold." Jason said softly. He lowered the book and stared up at the sky.

"I'm not a little kid anymore, I can handle it! I already see so much that he can't, it's not fair. I could help. I really could." His voice cracked a little, and Aurora put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know you can, but you have to be careful. It's not normal to be able to see all the stuff you see. I can't even see all the things you talk about." She drew her hand back to hug herself nervously.

Jack stared down at Jason, wondering exactly what it was the boy had been seeing and why. It would be normal if they were talking about typical mythical beings, but he'd mentioned goblins. Jack hadn't seen a goblin in over fifty years. When he and Sophie had given the boy to Jamie, they'd agreed to keep the magical stuff out of it until he was old enough to handle it. Clearly that plan had backfired. Jack leapt from the branch lighter than a feather and drifted soundlessly through the trees toward Jamie's house.

* * *

"Jack!" Jamie yelped as Jack barreled through the back door and into the kitchen, making Pippa gasp and drop the mixing bowl she'd been working on.

"I think it might be time to tell Jason the truth." Jack said seriously.

Jamie and Pippa stared at him, and then exchanged glances.

"Jack… I'm not sure if now is a good time. He's having trouble at school and he's been slipping into depression…" Jamie trailed off, but Pippa looked resigned.

"I think he's right. Jason has been mentioning a lot of weird things. I keep trying to tell him they aren't real, but he's not an idiot." She gazed steadfastly at her husband. "With everything going on lately, I think Jack is right. We need to tell Jason where he came from and why he's having a hard time fitting in…"

"I overheard him telling Aurora that he can see stuff like goblins. That's definitely not normal." Jack brushed his fingers through his hair in agitation.

"Ugh, what a disaster. He tells me he sees stuff all the time, but I just assumed it was his imagination. All kids say they see weird stuff, but _goblins_..?" Jamie rubbed his temples and sighed.

"He's getting kind of old to still be imagining there are pixies in the backyard or a ghost standing in the street…" Pippa mumbled as she cleaned up the mess from the dropped mixing bowl.

"We need Sophie, where is she?" Jamie asked Jack as he pulled his cell phone out and called her.

"She said she was helping Tooth with something, I'm not sure what they're up to, they might not have cell service." Jack mentioned as he plopped down on one of the dining room chairs.

* * *

"Okay, the couch is an improvement, but do you think we could get wall paper to stick?" Tooth floated toward the stone wall and poked it experimentally. Sophie gazed up at it doubtfully.

"It looks kind of… slimy. I don't know if wall paper is a good idea." She answered honestly and cringed away from a puddle on the floor that smelled unsanitary.

"Haven't you done enough damage yet?" Pitch seethed at them from the other side of the room, but Tooth and Sophie ignored him.

"I think some bamboo mats could work pretty well, the… puddles… might make normal rugs rot and smell gross. We could put up some string lights to brighten it up in here." Sophie said helpfully. Tooth clapped excitedly and zipped around the cavernous room in excitement.

"Absolutely not! I like it the way it is!" Pitch slid out from the darkness behind Sophie and leaned over her petite frame menacingly. She smiled up at him.

"I know you're trying really hard to maintain this 'Emo King' lifestyle, but it's okay to have enough light in your livingroom to read a book by." Sophie grinned playfully and crossed her arms at him.

"Emo… _what_? Get out of my lair, your voices are making me physically ill." Pitch hissed at her and Tooth, but Tooth zipped over and kissed him on the cheek. He recoiled in horror and Tooth giggled.

The cheerful jingle of Sophie's ringtone abruptly began to echoed throughout the stone walls of Pitch's hideout. She fumbled it out of her pocket, and Pitch stared at her in disbelief.

"How on earth do you get reception down here?" He mumbled in confusion.

"Hey, Jamie! What's up?" Sophie answered cheerfully.

She listened intently, and Pitch crossed his arms and tapped his foot in disapproval. Tooth drifted closer to him, then put her hands on his shoulder and rested her chin on them affectionately. He seemed to deflate a little, but had resigned himself to physical affection over the years.

"Alright, I'll head home now. No, I agree, but we need to talk it out in person first. … Yea, I'm on my way." Sophie looked considerably less cheerful when she hung up the phone and slid it back in her pocket.

"Is something wrong?" Tooth asked in concern.

"Something about Jason and some goblins..? Jamie wants me to come talk to them about telling Jason he's adopted…" She sighed heavily and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She moved forward and hugged Pitch around his waist, despite him raising his arms and hissing in disgust.

"I'll see you guys later!" Sophie hopped into the air and took off up the nearest hole in the cavern ceiling.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Advice of the day; always check your shoes when exiting a restroom. If you have toilet paper clinging to your foot, you can bet your ass you're gonna be the last one to hear about it. Stay safe, look at your feet.

.:4:.

Unlike Jack, Sophie took the time to knock politely on the front door when she arrived. Jack got up from his spot on the couch and opened the door, staring at Sophie with a serious look on his face.

"No solicitors. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave, ma'am." He said seriously. Sophie rolled her eyes and pushed him out of the way.

"Alright, Jamie, Pippa. What's the plan?" She sighed and crossed her arms. This wasn't something she had been looking forward to doing, but if it was time then they needed to get it done.

"I vote we just rip the bandaid off. We can put up a banner that says 'you're adopted!', maybe a cake that says 'sorry we lied'." Jamie started to get cheeky, but Pippa elbowed him playfully.

"This is serious! We're not just breaking the news that he's adopted, we're trying to tell him his aunt and uncle are his real parents and he's not a freak, he just has mild magical powers…" Pippa's voice trailed off as she lost confidence.

"Honestly, guy, I'm gonna be surprised if he and Aurora didn't already figure it out. We need to just be upfront about it." Sophie spoke up and Jack drifted over to put an arm around her shoulders.

"Do you think he's gonna be mad?" Jack asked with a tinge of worry in his voice.

"Nah, he's not that kind of kid. Don't worry dude." Jamie clapped a hand on Jack's shoulder in reassurance.

Sophie had barely gotten settled in to a spot on the couch when her phone rang. She pulled it out and looked at the screen.

"It's Aurora…" She told the others as they watched her curiously, then quickly answered the phone.

"Hey, sweetheart." She said cheerfully, and almost dropped the phone as Aurora screamed.

"It found me! Mom, I need help!" She sobbed so loudly that everyone in the room could hear her.

Jack was out the front door so quickly he almost broke it by flinging it open. Jamie scrambled for his car keys and Sophie ran toward the door while trying to calm her daughter down.

"Honey, where are you? Calm down, just tell me where to go!" Sophie's eyes stung with tears and her hands began to shake. She stepped out onto the sidewalk and looked up and down the street, but Jack was already gone.

"I don't know! It's dark. It's so dark… I'm scared!" Aurora sobbed for a moment, then screamed again and there was a loud crunch and the phone went dead.

"Rory..?" Sophie let out a choked sob and stared blankly at her phone. Jamie grabbed her arm and hauled her to his car.

"Get in, Jack said the kids were at the park about an hour ago. If they weren't still there, then Jason would have been heading home." He shoved her in the passenger seat, then dashed around to the driver seat. Pippa ran out the door, but Jamie rolled his window down and called to her.

"Hon, I think you should stay here in case one of the kids show up." Jamie told her gently. She leaned in his window to give him a kiss, then nodded somberly and stepped back again.

Jamie pulled out of the driveway a little faster than reasonable, and Sophie gracefully smacked her head against the window as he swerved into the street. He muttered an apology as he swerved onto another street, and Sophie tightened her seatbelt in self-defense. A neighbor shouted and waved a fist at him, but Jamie just waved in apology as he tore down the street toward the park. Sophie knew she should chastise his psychotic driving, but the sound of her daughter's terrified screams echoed in her mind.

* * *

"Aurora?!" Jack shouted as he slid to a stop beneath the tree he had last seen his kids at.

The park was silent, and it was getting dark. Shadows reached across the lawn like clawed hands. He could hear the gentle trickle of a nearby fountain. It was eerily quiet, almost like everyone had been scared away. Jack thought back to the rumors he'd heard of a serial killer stalking the streets at night, and couldn't help but feel like an idiot for leaving the two kids alone. Even if one of them was a magical nature spirit.

"Aurora!" Jack shouted louder, then gripped his staff close to his chest in fear as he strained to hear a response.

He brought a hand up and gripped at his hair, trying to force his brain to come up with an idea. He needed a plan, an idea, a clue, anything to help him figure out what to do. Breathing steadily, he closed his eyes and tried to think. Aurora was scared, and when she got scared she lost control of her powers. She had a tendency to make things grow, and plants responded to her presence. Jack's eyes snapped open and he frantically looked at the ground around his feet.

Flowers dotted the area around the base of the tree, then moved off toward the edge of the forest nearby. The grass was slightly taller, making a clear path forward for anyone who knew what to look for. The trail was straight at first, then grew more jagged until it veered off entirely and lead toward the backside of the nearby library. Jack darted forward, stopping softly in the deeply shadowed grass behind the old brick building. He looked around, fighting back the urge to panic as he felt the seconds ticking by.

"Frost!"

Jack gasped in surprise and spun toward the shadows, accidentally shooting a wave of ice across the grass. Pitch loomed at him from the deepest shadows of the library, brushing ice from his shoulder and looking at the winter spirit with distaste.

"Stop mucking about, we don't have time for this!" Pitch ground out as he reached forward and grabbed Jack by his sweatshirt.

"Pitch! What the hell-" Jack tried valiantly to curse at his former enemy, but Pitch dunked his head into the shadows and they were suddenly free-falling through darkness.

Jack could hear his own ragged breaths of fear and the rustling of fabric in the wind as they fell. He couldn't see anything, save for Pitch's dark face beside him, peering warily into the sprawling black below them.

"There!" Pitch hissed softly, then he tossed Jack to their left as a massive black scythe appeared in his hands.

"Not this one!" Pitch bellowed furiously as he swung the scythe.

Something below them screamed in surprised pain, but Jack didn't have time to register anything as his daughter's huddled form appeared before him. Their vision was limited, but he had time to slow himself in the air and open his arms to grab the terrified girl as she fell before smashing into her.

"Dad!" Aurora sobbed in relief, and Jack held her so tightly he heard her gasp in slight pain.

"What's this..?" A voice as deep as the ocean rumbled beneath them, and the hair on the back of Jack's neck stood on end.

"So much life… _immortality_… **_Delicious_**." The voice let out a low rumbling chuckle, and Jack stiffened in absolute terror.

A soft yellow glow began to emanate from the dark depths below, and Jack did his best to slow their descent. Without the aid of the wind, he didn't have much power, and Aurora clung to him in desperation and fear.

"What is that..?" She gasped, her voice wavering.

There was a spark of light nearby, and Jack caught a glimpse of Pitch's scythe cleaving the air below them. Pitch seemed to materialize out of thin air, wrapping his arms around the two nature spirits. The air was knocked from Jack's lungs as he was yanked backwards. He landed sprawling gracelessly in the grass behind the library with Aurora still trembling and clinging to his chest. Inhaling a sharp, painful breath of air, Jack shot up and stared wide-eyed at Pitch.

Something black and thick was leaking from his shoulder, and he watched as the Nightmare King pressed a handful of black sand to it to stop the flow. Pitch turned to him and kicked his thigh gently.

"Get up. Go. It knows where to find us, we need to move now!" He spat angrily.

Without another word, Pitch stalked off into the night, vanishing once again in the shadow of a nearby tree. Jack blinked in shock, then shook his head and dragged himself to his feet, still cradling the tiny, terrified girl to his chest. He looked over his staff for damage, then shot off into the sky.

* * *

"Jamie!" Sophie shrieked as someone ran out in the street ahead of them.

He slammed on his breaks and the car skidded on the pavement. He turned the wheel and more or less controlled the car up onto the curb next to the entrance to the park. Sophie threw the door open and choked herself as she tried to fling herself out without unclipping the seatbelt. Jamie was more successful and stepped out of the car with his dignity intact.

"Dad!" Jason threw himself against Jamie's chest and the two hugged for a long moment in the darkening streets.

Sophie managed to extricate herself from the car and stumbled out into the road. Jason backed away from Jamie and wiped at his eyes. He gazed up at his adopted father with relief, then looked over at Sophie.

"Aunt Sophie! Aurora is in trouble!" He ran towards her and she hugged him tightly. He pushed back to look into her face.

"Something came out of the shadows and grabbed her!" Jason started to tear up, and Sophie did her best to comfort him.

"Where? Do you remember where?" She asked urgently. Jason sniffled and nodded, then started to raise his hand to point.

Halfway up his hand began to tremble, and he stared off into the darkness of the park in absolute horror. Sophie followed his gaze, but she couldn't see anything. Jamie put his hand on Jason's shoulder, following his line of sight but unable to find the source of the boy's fear. Jason jerked away from Sophie's grasp and bolted down the street toward the main road.

"Jason!" Jamie called out worriedly, and Sophie took to the air to follow him.

"What's wrong? There's nothing there!" Sophie tried to calm him down, but tears were streaming down the pre-teen's face and his eyes were wide and panicked.

"It's a monster! It took Aurora and it wants me, too!" He sobbed as he ran, and Sophie looked at him in confusion.

Moments later something knocked her out of the air and she went sprawling across the street. She looked up to see a glimmer of something unseen towering over Jason, then a truck honked loudly and the glimmering thing was flung against a building as the truck rampaged through the intersection. The thing reached back toward Jason, but the truck jumped a curb and hit a tree, which fell over with a thunderous crack and pinned the barely visible thing to the ground.

A hand wrapped around Sophie's arm and hauled her to her feet. She was rushed forward toward Jason, and Jamie caught up panting for breath.

"Wow, that was lucky. I couldn't even see it, but there's definitely something there!" Jamie admired the truck and waved to the driver as he scrambled from the wreckage. He turned to look at Jason and Sophie, and was visibly startled to see a woman looming over them.

"Who are you?!" He asked in alarm, and Sophie snapped her head up to look at the woman holding her arm.

"Fortuna. You're welcome." She gazed down at Sophie and gave her a wink, then hauled Jason to his feet and ushered the three of them further down the road.

"He's still weak, he won't follow us into a populated area." She said reassuringly.

Jamie grabbed Jason and made sure he was doing alright, but kept staring at the newcomer curiously. She was tall, with long auburn hair and big blue eyes. She was beautiful, but somehow familiar. Jamie glanced around and realized that everyone on the crowded city street could see her too. His eyes snapped back to her and he was lost for a moment as it sank it.

"You're Lady Luck. Oh my god, Lady Luck just saved my son's life." Jamie mumbled almost incoherently.

"Don't celebrate yet." She gritted out as she dragged them down another street. She glanced back, but didn't seem satisfied with what she saw.

"What is it..?" Sophie asked nervously as she wound her hand in Jason's shirt for reassurance.

"We're not sure, but it's been on a rampage for almost a month. It's been eating people and mythical beings alike. It's old, like elder gods old." Fortuna yanked them down another street and Sophie finally noticed that people were staring at them.

"Can they see you?" Sophie asked incredulously.

"Of course they can see her, most adults don't even realize they believe in Lady Luck." Jamie almost sounded offended, and Sophie stared at him in dismay.

"Wait, you said 'we', who else is here with you?" Sophie glanced around defensively, but Fortuna laughed.

"You'll meet him soon enough." She winked at Sophie again, and the winter spirit glared at the lack of direct answers.

They continued down the street, and the crowds parted to let them through. People murmured to each other and Sophie began to feel a little embarrassed by the attention. She was so used to being ignored, it was jarring to have people look at her and whisper, even if it wasn't actually her they were looking at. Fortuna slowed their pace and breathed a sign of relief, then glanced over and nodded appreciatively at someone.

"Well done." A deep voice seemed to materialize beside Jamie, and he jumped in surprise when he realized a man in a black hoodie was keeping pace with them.

"Don't patronize me." Fortuna quipped as she directed the family down another street, further from the crowds of people.

"I apologize. I meant, good work not messing this one up." The man replied smoothly, and Fortuna gave him a dangerous glance.

"What is going on?!" Sophie exclaimed as she glanced between the luck goddess and the mystery man.

The man stepped into Fortuna's path and she stopped. He tilted his hood back to reveal a handsome face and blood-red irises. He was wearing a black hoodie and typical blue jeans, with generic black sneakers. Sophie was used to seeing mythical beings that were obviously otherworldly, but this guy looked like a typical high school dropout trying to pursue a music career.

"We just saved you because my wife thinks your son can save us all from a life-sucking god of the abyss." He said elegantly.

Sophie looked at Jamie in shock, and Jamie looked at Jason with disbelief. It was a lot to take in, and though they were in a more secluded ally, it still felt very exposed. They'd been running for their lives moments ago.

"Who are you?" Sophie asked in a demanding tone. She was tired and scared, and these people had appeared minutes after her daughter called for help, so she didn't trust them just yet.

"I already told you I am Fortuna. This unfortunate mess is my husband, Death." The auburn haired woman moved to put an arm around the creepy hooded guy's shoulders and smiled.


End file.
